More than three decades ago, I had the great fortune of meeting Jazz Master Barry Harris and began what was to be a life shaping journey. I was immediately struck by the level of 'truth' that Barry demonstrated in his lessons – "Bud did it like this", "Bird said...". Simply put and, unlike other methods, which might be likened to twigs and branches, Dr. Harris represents the roots and trunk of the jazz tree. I had found home.

The purpose of Jazz School Online is to make available to students of Jazz who might not have ready access to Barry Harris, a way of studying what I consider to be the key components of his Method. The main concepts are surprisingly few and may be memorized relatively easily. The real work and joy of discovery however, comes from digging ever deeper into them. Once you have gained a level of mastery of these concepts, you will find that you are continually finding new ways of applying them to your playing – and that is the point. The Barry Harris Method is truly an Improvisational Approach to Studying Jazz.